[Closed] How to Stop Mrs from crashing her car?

MUST have these 8)

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Then she can drive twice as fast as normal before crashing!

4 x Michelin Cross Climates on my car and no intention of ever putting "Summer Tyres" on the car again.

Scotland's 4 day summer just does't warrant using tyres that work best at 20C

well here in Norway it is the law that all cars have a full set of winter tyres on from Nov - Apr ish

I actually use studded winter tyres on the 4wheel drive

It is incomprehensible to me that someone would only fit 2 winter tyres - utterly pointless

TBH she must have know it was icy when she scraped the windows this morning and maybe she should have been more cautious.

Dawn freeze, iffy shaded corner, living at bottom of hill and working at the the top etc mean that you do not have to have a frost to have black ice or normal water ice. I drove up our old outdoor centre drive (1km of 1/5 with corners) and even walked the top of it, no ice. 20mins later I took a minibus down, and bounced of the banks each side as it slid about 600m out of control.

But when you can get energy savers with plenty of grip and 50k miles worth of wear, I'm not sure. Interested to see the basis of this calculation if it were available (and it probably isn't or shouldn't be so don't ask!)

Personal experience of winters, all weathers and summers on three cars across 8 years of being in Scotland is that the winters/all rounds last *almost* as well as the summers if driven at normal speeds. I usually get 15-20k out of them on front of people carrier. I do wonder if you can get some low rolling resistance ones that last well - but like the winters, do you also trade some grip? I would prefer the security of all-seasons up in Scotland for our driving.

energy savers with plenty of grip and 50k miles worth of wear

I've got Conti energy saving tyres for the Summer. The wet grip definitely isn't "plenty" and improves each November when the Winter Alpins go on. I doubt the Contis will get to 25000km (I change at 3mm) which isn't much more than the Alpins.

Thing about winter tyre lifespan is that they basically stop being winter tyres way before they're worn out- the sipes wear out and the tread depth gets too shallow to really do the job on snow. But they still work as "just tyres"- in fact might get better. My current set are pretty much spent for winter use but they'll do me next summer too I expect.

I've got Conti energy saving tyres for the Summer. The wet grip definitely isn't "plenty"

I've had Nokian Hs and now have Goodyear EfficientGrip performance. The Goodyears are rated as having wet grip as good as non energy savers, but aren't anywhere near as quiet as the Nokians. Both tyres seem no more prone to ABS action or wheel spinning when I do brake and acceleration tests than the traditional non-energy savers. I have no appetite to try and get sideways on public roads but they don't give any concern when taking roundabouts as quickly as is acceptable.

EDIT: Goodyears seem ok in the reviews still:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/88483/goodyear-efficientgrip-performance-tyre-review

I doubt the Contis will get to 25000km

I took the Nokians off the Passat at about 50k miles because the rears had sawtoothed due to the broken spring. The fronts had about 2.3mm or so left, the rears about 4mm iirc.

Why are we comparing eco tires with winters. You realise they are totally different compounds that react to temperature differently.

You live in Wales it's a different climate for the most part to the OP.

Tyre life is very much route dependent. My most frequent journey includes the Col d'Aubisque (no I don't get sideways either). The Alpins wear very well under the circumstances, especially when compared with the Contis which are supposed to wear well and don't do much better. Increased tyre wear of the order of 25% less life isn't a reason not to fit Winters IMO.

I've got Conti energy saving tyres for the Summer. The wet grip definitely isn't "plenty"

In their defence I've driven down this in a good 12" of snow with those tyres.

https://goo.gl/maps/xcf8gZD7nz22

(it's a fair bit steeper and tighter than google makes it look)

Slowly slowly catchy monkey, drive according to the conditions and all that. Obviously if I'd had winter tyres and a STW general issue Octavia VRs I could have been making progress and drifted down it like Tommi Mäkinen . But equally I didn't end up in a ditch.

fresh snow is very grippy though.

its when its compacted down to 2 inches of hard packed ice that your tires play their part. and even then its the thin layer of semi thawed water on top that makes you go skitey .

What car, thisisnotaspoon? 12" of fresh snow turns anything without a corresponding amount of ground clearance into a snow plough that won't move even with Winter tyres and chains.

What car, thisisnotaspoon? 12" of fresh snow turns anything without a corresponding amount of ground clearance into a snow plough that won't move even with Winter tyres and chains.

C-max, 134 miles into a 136 mile journey, I wasn't for turning round and giving up! Shovel and carpet in the boot if I'd got beached.

I've just done my Dutch Driving Theory. Rules:

*MINIMUM tread recommended for winter tyres is 4mm

*The tyres should be fitted when the temp is below 6C and removed when the temp rises over that again.

*The stopping distance for winter tyres is HIGHER than summer tyres in good weather.

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From memory - the best tyres should be on the REAR of a FWD car - better to stop than to spin out.

Winters tyres front, summer rear looks quite fun here!

Not so much on a tight B road in traffic tho

Yep, that video proves that if you drive dangerously with winter tyres on the front only, it's dangerous. I suppose the video of driving safely was less entertaining. But apart from the excessive speed, I'd rather be in that car than one with summer tyres all round.

recommended

should

Driver Training!

Teach her to correctly read the road so she can proactively manage her driving rather than sheep-along (tm) just following the car ahead!.

Most people i meet don't actually look at the road, let along read it.

Winter tyres might have helped in this situation, but there are 1000 other situations where they won't make nay difference (or you'll just be going faster when you un-expecidly reach the limits of adhesion.......)

This guy is good, very very good:

[url= http://www.reglocal.com/ ]RegLocal[/url]

Rules:

*MINIMUM tread recommended for winter tyres is 4mm

*The tyres should be fitted when the temp is below 7C and removed when the temp rises over that again.

*The wear rate for winter tyres is HIGHER than summer tyres >7c.

EDITED/reposted after checking in the book- if I'm going to try and quote something I had better get it right! I passed, but I didn't get 100% 😛

[quote="Edukator"]What car, thisisnotaspoon? 12" of fresh snow turns anything without a corresponding amount of ground clearance into a snow plough that won't move even with Winter tyres and chains.I've had it both ways, 30cm of fresh snow at about 0 degrees left me beached (with almost new studded tyres) as it packed down under the front bumper and lifted the wheels.
Over 50 cm of fresh snow at about -10, the biggest problem was visibility, most of the snow was going over the car. And packing into the radiator grill. Took me about an hour to drive the last bit from the motorway (ploughed) to the house (not ploughed)

Why are we comparing eco tires with winters. You realise they are totally different compounds that react to temperature differently.

You live in Wales it's a different climate for the most part to the OP.

We weren't - we were off on our own little tangent about energy savers 🙂 Not sure the old 'they are crap in the wet' is the case any more.

Crappest tyres I have had on a modern car were the OEM Bridgestone Turanza that came on the Prius. But for some unfathomable reason manufacturers put premium tyre labels on shite tyres for OEM use - leading to everyone then thinking that tyre is shite.

I do wonder if you can get some low rolling resistance ones that last well - but like the winters, do you also trade some grip?

Not IME no, as said. However you probably want the new Michelin all season jobbies.

Thing about winter tyre lifespan is that they basically stop being winter tyres way before they're worn out- the sipes wear out and the tread depth gets too shallow to really do the job on snow

My understanding is that winter tyres are not just about tread but also how they behave in low temperatures.

4 x Michelin Cross Climates on my car and no intention of ever putting "Summer Tyres" on the car again.

Scotland's 4 day summer just does't warrant using tyres that work best at 20C

Have pretty much come to that conclusion myself.
Energy savers are horrid in the wet in single digit temps.
Summer sporty tyres I found a bit better, but utterly unworkable once a little snow came along.
Still have some life in current tyres, but by next winter I expect to be on cross climates or similar.

Crappest tyres I have had on a modern car were the OEM Bridgestone Turanza that came on the Prius. But for some unfathomable reason manufacturers put premium tyre labels on shite tyres for OEM use - leading to everyone then thinking that tyre is shite.

FFS, if you're too cheap to buy four winter tyres, at least make sure you balance the front and rear of the car by putting the winters on the left side and summers on the right side!

But in all honesty there is a reason 99% of cars (if not 100%) are designed to understeer, it is intuitive for a lot of people to brake when feeling out of control which it the worst thing you can do with oversteer (or less grip on the rear) as this will just pitch you into a spin!

Not always the worst thing. Got taught a rather nice trick where understeer is induced whilst oversteer is starting using the brakes. Car is then steered with the brake. Not sure I'd want to try it in the road though.

*The tyres should be fitted when the temp is below 6C and removed when the temp rises over that again.

So winters going to work and summers coming home at the moment?

+1 for Bridgestone Turanzas being crap.

Goodyear all seasons on my car for Scottish conditions now and I'll never fitting "summer" tyres again. They mean the rare time I need to drive on snow is a non event whereas with the Bridgestones any white stuff made things dodgy no matter how smooth the braking and acceleration.

At 10k miles per year this is their second winter on the car. Still plenty tread. I'll get 20k miles at least on the fronts. Next Nov I'll check the tread and if needed replace 1 pair with the new ones on the rear and the rears swapped to the front.

So winters going to work and summers coming home at the moment?

In your case yes, in everyone else's: no.

Could have been dodgy badging

Afaik they all do this, but I will defer to anyone with actual knowledge.

It damages the public opinion of energy savers when they put shite versions on new cars and people hate them, but the aftermarket ones are ok.

There are an incredible about of RTAs on the rural road around here on the fens. Those involving other vehicles are generally larger more powerful vehicle driven by impatient drivers overtaking in unsuitable places. Those in ditches tend to be small hatch backs. The roads are generally covered in mud from October to March which doesn't help, why can't they develop a something that cleans tractor tyres when they leave the fields?

Afaik farmers are obliged to take steps to minimise mud all over the road, but many don't give a crap. But drivers are also obliged to take road conditions into account....

[i]Fleet manager here at work looked at this in detail and now leaves winters on the fleet all year round. There is only a tiny difference in running costs, wear and driving feel, but a significant expense in swapping over. I'm now following suit and leaving on all year. [/I]

We do this with my Mum's cars, all-weathers on it.

tbh I was having a conversation with our postie at work (I'm near Frank) and I was amazed that the Post Office here don't put all-weather tyres on their vans once the originals (or spec them upfront in the contract from new).

Seems a bit-short sighted IMO.

molgrips - Member

Crappest tyres I have had on a modern car were the OEM Bridgestone Turanza

Another +1 on this. They were OEM on my previous Ibiza & were rubbish....

I'd like to try Cross Climates, but they don't do them in my tyre size.

Turanzas normally get decent reviews though. The aftermarket ones are different.

I did my own bit of "research" commuting from Aviemore to Inverness. Every month had at least one journey when temperatures were below 7c. Full-time winters here too. It's not worth the cost/hassle of swapping over for a couple of months and having to store another set of wheels/tyres. Neither am I convinced that winter tyres are such an impediment when driving in UK summers at legal - and appropriate- speeds.